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Indian wheat, Patagonia plantain, Pursh's plantain, woolly plantain

dwarf plantain, pale-seed plantain, paleseed indianwheat, Virginia plantain

Habit Annuals; roots taproots, slender. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–15 mm.

0–20 mm.

Leaves

(25–)50–120 × 1–4 mm;

blade linear, margins entire, rarely toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous.

20–120 × 4–25 mm;

blade obovate or narrowly obovate, margins toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces pilose or glabrate.

Scapes

(10–)40–240(–260) mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short and patent, long.

30–240 mm, hairy, hairs patent, long.

Spikes

grayish or brownish, 40–120 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts triangular or narrowly ovate, 2–10 mm, length 1–2 times sepals, apex acute or acuminate.

greenish or yellowish, 38–260 mm, densely or loosely flowered;

bracts narrowly ovate or ovate, 1.6–2.5 mm, length 0.7–1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2.2–4.8 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.6–2.1 mm, base cordate;

stamens 4, connective usually elongated, apex acute.

sepals 1.5–2.4 mm, apex obtuse;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 1.1–2.9 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

2, 2.2–2.6 mm.

2, brown or yellowish brown, 1.6–2 mm, adaxial face deeply concave.

2n

= 20.

= 24.

Plantago patagonica

Plantago virginica

Phenology Flowering early summer. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry sandy soils, grasslands, openings, disturbed areas. Sandy soils, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–3600 m. (0–11800 ft.) 0–2300 m. (0–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; AZ; CA; CO; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; LA; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK; South America; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The circumscription of Plantago patagonica is treated here in accordance with K. Rahn (1978). The phenotypic plasticity of it does not allow varieties or subspecies to be recognized. Plants recognized in other floras as P. purshii (for example, Flora of Indiana and Flora of New Mexico) are referable to either P. aristata or P. patagonica (Rahn).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 290. FNA vol. 17, p. 293.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Plantago Plantaginaceae > Plantago
Sibling taxa
P. afra, P. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. eriopoda, P. firma, P. floccosa, P. helleri, P. heterophylla, P. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, P. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, P. media, P. ovata, P. pusilla, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
P. afra, P. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. eriopoda, P. firma, P. floccosa, P. helleri, P. heterophylla, P. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, P. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, P. media, P. ovata, P. patagonica, P. pusilla, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. wrightiana
Synonyms P. patagonica var. breviscapa, P. patagonica var. gnaphalioides, P. patagonica var. spinulosa, P. purshii var. oblonga, P. spinulosa P. virginica var. viridescens
Name authority Jacquin: Icon. Pl. Rar. 2: 9, plate 306. (1795) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753)
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